vectorization menu

A vector image is a way of storing information about the shape of objects in a bitmap. In a bitmap image file, the image is stored as an array of pixels that are either black or white. In a vector image, only the boundaries of the objects are stored. Vector images have advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

Vector images are often much smaller than bitmap images.
Vector images can be overlaid on of other kinds of images.
Vector images can be analyzed more quickly.

Disadvantages:

You can convert a bitmap image to a vector image, but not vice-versa.
Object measurements on a vector image will differ slightly from the same measurements performed on the bitmap image, even if you use "zero" vectorization error.

When you create a vector image, you can specify an error tolerance that controls how much the vector boundary is allowed to deviate from the true boundary of the objects. A value of zero means that the vector boundary matches the bitmap boundary exactly. A value of one means that the vector boundary may deviate from the true boundary by as much as one pixel width. The larger the error, the more compact is the vector image file. You can set this tolerance by entering the value in the Allowable error in pixels menu field.

As with bitmap and statistics file creation, the system uses the following scheme to determine which objects will make it into the vector image:

if any objects have been highlighted, then only the objects that are visible make it into the vector image.
if nothing has been highlighted, every object that passes all active constraints makes it into the vector image.

You can control which object boundaries make it into the vector image by adjusting the Exteriors? and Interiors? toggles. If Exteriors? is set to Yes, then the outer boundaries of the objects are included in the vector image. If set to No, they are not included. If Interiors? is set to Yes, then the boundaries of holes in objects are included in the vector image. If set to No, they are not. Thus, you can have both boundaries and holes, eliminate holes, or include only the holes (in this case, when you analyze the file again, the holes become the boundaries).

Once you have everything set up the way you want it, click on the CREATE VECTOR FILE menu field to create the vector image.